The AEB course made it very clear that there is a wealth of information available and Sue has pointed me in the right direction, not just to find it, but read it, think about it, answer questions on it, go and observe horses and people in action in different settings, predict a horse's reaction to a way of being treated – and being right! It has opened my eyes to the way I might approach a horse or pony. It has made me assess how I am feeling, what my agenda is, what I want to achieve, what demands or pressures may I be exerting on the being I want to spend time with because it isn't all about me! I will affect the horse I interact with and I need to make sure that it's always a good experience so that we can have future contact with an immediate air of relaxation, friendliness, companionship and compassion. I am not saying that we need to treat horses like fluffy bunnies but mutual respect, understanding and empathy go a long way to building trust between beings where we automatically assume the position of 'top dog'.
Thank you Sue. I am sure that students of this course will find their own level of appreciation and have their unique ways of assimilating the information and turning this knowledge to a useful form, so let it spread and enhance our relationships for the better.
Oh, and who am I? A Yoga teacher of some 30 years, a Shiatsu practitioner of maybe 20 years and an excited School of Equine Shiatsu practitioner of 8 years who now helps to teach on the Diploma course.
Elsa Suzanne, 2015
Guildford, Surrey